THE STORY OF SHELTER IN PLACE : A TEEN PERSPECTIVE
The Art. The Mural. The Documentary.
In March 2020, lockdown suddenly became new territory for all of us. As the world transformed, Artstart changed with it. Due to the pandemic, the art studio had to be put on hold, people were advised to shelter in place, and our world came to a halt. Artstart wanted to help. At Artstart, we have always been committed to hearing the voices of teens through art. So we created an online call for young artists to visually portray their experiences. Over 100 entries of art accompanied by many poignant stories poured in, and the concept of creating a collaged mural to express the teen perspective of lockdown began to take shape.
Our spacious, open air warehouse studio cautiously reopened with distance mentoring. Our team of artists and teen apprentices, working in safety, took on the unique challenge of combining these images and stories into a collaged mural to express a relevant teen perspective of the pandemic.
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The astonishing results are here.
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Visit the gallery to view the amazing individual submissions which inspired and informed the mural.
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The process of the Shelter in Place Mural has been so inspiring and emotionally healing
that a moving 11 minute documentary film was created.
SHELTER IN PLACE : THE TEEN PERSPECTIVE can be viewed here.
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Experience the emotional healing power of art during these challenging times.
It’s about community, creativity, change and making “connections”.
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The community support includes Santa Rosa Plaza and Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, both owned by Simon Property Group, who have offered space for Artstart displays. Santa Rosa Plaza has installed a large 25’x10’ rendition of the mural on their 2nd floor. Petaluma Village Premium Outlets has made window space available at their main entrance for an Artstart exhibit and in Downtown Petaluma, visuals of the mural and the creative process are featured at 214 Western Avenue.
Fundraising for our programs, the sponsoring of teen apprentices, mural development and countless community projects seek donations. Donate here if you are able, and help Artstart make these projects a reality.